The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1887-05-19
THE MAIDEN,s soLACE.
A Brief Chapter Of Interesting Facts (
cerning Spruce Gum.

A Brief Chapter Of Interesting Facts Con-
cerning Spruce Gum.
BANGOR, May 5.-The seasons logging
operations on the Penobscot are over now
the ak swingers are out of the woods and
the bar-rooms of Bangor have reaped their
usual harvest, while the supply of spruce
gum is literally replenished, and every
school girl in town can chew to her hearts
content.
A lump of clear, genuine spruce gum, fresh
and fragrant from its native forest, is not to
be despised as chewing substance, and if
everybody could get the real article, instead
Of cheap adulterated stuff, the army of
chewers would be vastly augmented. The
natural gum is said by physicians to be ben
eficial to the teeth, and It is certainly great
improvement on tobacco. The woodsmen
bring out considerable quantities of gum,
sometimes packed in pretty miniature barrels,
which they whittle and carve from blocks of
white pine or cedar during the idle hours by
the camp fire, as presents for their friends,
but there are people who make business of
gathering gum, and In certain sections of the
spruce country it pays well.
Most of the spruce gum handled by the
dealers comes from Canada and Northern
Maine, while Vermont and New Hampshire
contribute moderate quantity to the total
yield. The best gum comes from no particu-
Lar section, but always from the biggest
August, when, in these high latitudes, the
sun becomes 20 hot o. to crack the bark. On
the limbs, in the crotches, and even in the
trunk Of the spruce, the molten gum forms
during the heat Of summer In all sorts of fam
tastic shapes, and when cold weather sets in
the gum Is white and pitchy, then It begins
to turn amber and red, and the second year
Il is fit to "pick" for the market, although It
is better II allowed to remain nthe trees un-
I'll the third year. After the third season
the gum remainsin the same state for several
years. and then begins 70 turn old" as the
that 1t chews hard, and crumbles up. A
little more age makes Il dark -colored and
bitter. and then it, value d gone.
Up In Canada much Of the gum is picked
in autumn, beginning e early as October,
but there, as in Maine, the best time for the
when snowshoes are used, or in the early
spring, when 2 man can travel along at q
lively rate on the heavy crust above the un-
derbrush. The pickers are provided with
long poles, on the end OF which is fastened
sharp chisel. and underneath that cup to
holds from pint to . quar-, and when fun
It is emptied into long bag which the
packer carries slung to his back like KNAPP
sack. These gum harvesten erects huts In
the woods when far distant from o settle
ment or logging camp. and stay from two
secured as much as they can, "totev they
come out, and then the women and children
have the tedious Job of scraping each and
every lump free from bark and moss. The
clean, bright article offered for sale in the
shops looks very % %uch ;. different ftcm the
occasionally Q clear, shiny piece q found on
the limb Of large tree.
II d the cleaning Of the gum that makes q
hrgt-clas article expensive. An ordinary
picker usually earns fair days wages, al
though IN localities that have not been ex.
known man to gather go worth Of gum in
( There are two or three Arms in Maine
which buy large quantities Of gum from
lumbermen and pickers for the purpose of
refining \. = they say: But q general
WITH rosln. Thssy throw the gum gum Into Into
Il TO about the consistency Of mo-
lesses. skimming on the impurities q they
rise to the surface. Then, II the purpose be
to adulteIatA some lard OF grease and . Lotto
sugar; Ths mixture Is stirred until thick
and then poured out on slab, where, while
II ID yet hot, Il IL rolled out In : nheef about
quarter Of an inch thick, and afterward cut
with steel die into pieces half an inch wide
and three-quarteF. Of an inch long. These
cfsd AZ ~ w',PPeS 70 oPIorso ns pfpssd and
pieces 70 box. This L. so-called sspetent''
gum. Tons Of II are sold south and west Of
u, but hero on the verge Of The primeval
torese u y drug In the mazket-&Sw 1erk